A STATISTICIAN has warned that despite the increasing popularity of Welsh-medium education, Wales continues to lose fluent Welsh speakers at a rate of up to 3,000 a year.

Hywel Jones, who works for the Welsh Language Board, reveals his findings in an article for the Institute of Welsh Affairs journal Agenda.

Adding 6,500 deaths to the 5,200 Welsh speakers a year who move to England gives a gross loss of 11,700. This figure is offset by 3,000 children a year learning to be fluent, 2,100 children raised through Welsh and 3,600 Welsh speakers coming into Wales a total of 8,700, or a net loss of 3,000.

A spokeswoman for Cardiff council pointed out that the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools in the county continued to rise.

The authority’s Welsh Education Scheme 2008-2013 states: “The latest census statistics available indicate that 16.3% of the population of Cardiff have one or more skills in the Welsh language – ability to read, write and/or understand Welsh. 32,000 or 10.9% of the county’s population are fluent Welsh speakers. 24.5% are within the three to 15 age group, and 12.1% within the 16 to 24 age groups.”